Andhra Pradesh government is keen to introduce common school system by setting up cluster schools with top class amenities and transport facilities to attract students from all sections to the State run primary schools.
Acknowledging that the government run primary schools are losing out to private schools despite well qualified teachers and spending thousands of crores, Human Resources Development Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said the government would soon initiate measures to reform and revamp the sector.
Replying to a discussion on the primary education sector in the Legislative Council here on Wednesday, he called for concerted efforts to improve the image of government schools so that “children of politicians, bureaucrats, professionals and teachers will also go to government schools.”
Panel to be set upA committee would be constituted to study the success of State run primary schools in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Himachal Pradesh and the government would also convene a meeting with experienced teacher and graduate MLCs and other experts to seek suggestions for revitalising primary schools, he said. The HRD Department would also launch a website to invite suggestions for reforms in a week.
In a bid to bring in responsibility and accountability into the system, the Minister said bio-metric system would be introduced as a pilot project in West Godavari and later would be extend to all the districts. In tune with changing times, audio-video learning would also be introduced in a phased manner. He responded positively to a suggestion to start LKG to admit three-year-old children by amending the RTE Act.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao said the government proposed to introduce performance linked incentive scheme in schools. English as a subject would be given equal importance along with emphasis on skill development right from primary school. NRIs, corporate sector, endowment institutions such as Simhachalam Devasthanam would also be involved for developing government schools and colleges.
Emphasising the need for rationalisation of teachers, he said in the Chief Minister’s constituency alone 572 teacher posts were vacant. While DSC notification would be issued on September 5, in the meantime Vidya volunteers would be appointed in vacant posts. The government would also explore the possibility for out of court settlement over the long pending service rules and pave way for appointment of mandal education officers to supervise the schools.
